Benjamin ward



N. PETERS, PHOTD-UTHMRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D c,

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BENJAMIN WARD, o-F-'1aoY-Nnw Youn, vAssicavon To CLARK TOMPKINS.

Letters-Patent No. 76,854, elated Aprilv 141868.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MAGHINES.

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ATo ALL wHoM rr MAY coNcnnN: s i I Beit known that I, BENJAMIN WARD, vof the city of Troy,`in the county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the followingris a suiicient description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan, i

Figure 2 a Sectional elevation, and Y i v Figure 3 an expanded side view of portions of a. knitting-machine which emb'odies the distinguishing features of my invention; and l I y I Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate modications thereofj Like parts being marked by similar letters in 'the various lfigures, and the arrows therein being in dicative of the directions in which the contiguous parts move or are movable. I

1. Knitting-machines have been heretoforel made with a inger or drop-levcr resting on or against the yarn where it ran into the needles, and so combined with a device for driving or stopping the machine, that,when the yarn broke or ran out, the finger or drop-lever would move, and cause the machine to stop, by reason of the breaking or ruiming out of the yarn; and knitting-machines have been made with a finger o r roller resting in Contact with the knit fabric where the latter left the needles, and so combined with a device fordriving or stopping the machine, that, when ahole was made in the knit fabric, the Enger or roller would drop into the hole, and thereby cause the machine to stop. 'Examplesof such stop-motions are shown in R. Cushman's patent of May 22, 1855.

Knitting-machines having spring-barbed needles have 'also been so constructed that, when waste or unkni/t yarn accumulated in the barbs of the needles, the machine would be stopped by the action of the waste or unknit yarn thus accumulated in the needles, as described in N. 41:". Aikins patent of July 13, 1858, reissued May 3, 1859; but, before' such a machine'y will stop, the beards of the -necdlesof the machine are liable to be bent out of place and broken oli' by the accumulated mass of waste or unknit'yarn in the needles. Besides,

lsuch a stop-motion, which'acts only when waste or unknit yarn accumulates in the needles, cannot be used en any knitting-machine which has the common la-tchneedles, (see iig. 5,) so arranged that Waste or unknit yarn Will-not accumulate in but Iwill fall out of the needles, nor on any knitting-machine having spring-barbed needles,- wheneverthe waste or unknit yarn shall be taken out of and prevented from accumulating in the needles by any device or means whatever. i

New, instead of so constructing a knitting-machine that it will be stopped by reason of the breaking or running out of the yarn as it runs into the needles, or in Aconsequence of a hole being made in the knit fabric as it leaves the needles, or bythe action of waste or unknit yarn accumulated in the hooks or barbs of the needles, the distinguishing feature of' one part of my invention consists in so constructing a knitting-machine that it will be stopped bythe action of waste or unknit yarn that has fallen or been taken-out of the barbs or hooks of the needles of thc machine. i

This part of my invention applies to knitting-machines having common spring-barbed needles, shown in figs. l, 2, 3, and 6, and to such as have latchncedles, represented in fie. 5, 'and is, as wellas the other parts of my invention hereinafter specihed, especially applicable to knitting-machines which have their needles arranged in the form of a cylinder, and either ixed or movable endwise. In the aforesaid drawing, A is a claw, comb, or series of fingers, so arranged, in respect to the needles B of a knitting-machine, and so combined with mechanism for driving or stopping the machine, that, when the machine is running, the waste or unknit yarn C, (shown by green lines,) which falls or is taken downward out of the hooks or barbs of the needles B, will catch into or engage with and move the said claw, comb,' or series of ngers, so as to make the latter control the action of the said driving lor stopping-mechanisin, and thereby cause the machine to stop.

II. In using knitting-machines having spring-barbed needles, large knots in the yarn sometimes stick in the barbs, that is, in the space u, iin. 2, under the barbsrl; and, when a yarn breaks in knitting, so as to cause a. hole in` the knit cloth next to the needles, the yarn that is afterward fed into the needles, and left loose and unknit opposite to such-l1ole,is apt to `remain and accumulate in the needles, so 'as-to sometimes bend out and break off their` barbs. To lessen or prevent those difficulties is the main object of another part of my invention, which consists in the arrangement, in a knitting-machine having spring-barbed needles,`of a stripping-wheel, M iigs. 1 and 3, in such manner that, when the machine is knitting, the said stripping-wheel shall take obstructing knots,or loose cr unknit yarn C, ont ofthe needles-that is, ont of the space u under their barbs fZ-and thereby prevent the injurious retention or accumulation of such knots or yarn in the needles.

In carrying out this part of my invention, I commonly make the strippig-wheel M much` like an ordinary cast-olf wheel, as indicated in figs. 1 and 3, and locate the stripping-wheel on the barb-side of the series of needles, and so that it gears into the series ofnecdles at any suitable place where the old loops v of the fabric, shown in blue lines, are caused to be down or back on the needles, out from under their barbs, as indicated at z in figs. 2 and 3, and where the `stripping-wheel will not interfere with the feeding in of the new yarn w, indicated by red lines, no1' with thefknitting-action of the machine. j

1 III. But it is especially important that the large knots, and the loose or nnknit yarn,"shonld be out of the needles where the new yarn is fed into them; and anothervpart of my invention consists in arranging, in a knittingmachinc,"just forward of the sinker-wheel, or whatever other 'device shallfeed the new`yarn into the needles, a stripping-wheel, M, so that the latter shall take the largeknots, or theloose or unknit yarn, out of the needles at a point just forward of the place where the new yarn w is fed into themand so that the knots, Y or more or less of the loose or unknit yarn thus taken out of. the needles, may be cast off, with the old loops v, Y over the barbs ofthe needles, on to the knit'fabric, by the usualtlrnittingfaction of the machine. In iig. 3, the strippingwheel M is shown taking loose or unknit yarnC out of the needles, jst forward of the place where the new yarn w is fed into the needles bythe blades :c of a einher-wheel, N, which is broken-ofi` in figs. 3 and 1, but shown Afull in fig. 2. In figs. 1, 2, 3, Q is a cam, pressing the fabric down on the needles, so as to slide the oldloops v below the barbs o?, as at z in fig. 2, and R is a wheel 4for pressing in, the points of the barbs where the old loops are cast olf.

IV; Another part of my invention consists in the combination, in a knitting-machine, of a stripping-wheel, M, arranged so as to take loose or unknit yarn out cf the needles, and a claw, finger, comb, o r any othcnsuitable device, so arranged, in respect to the said stripping-wheel and needles, and so combined, by any suitable device or devices, with any suitableV mechanism for stopping the machine, that, when the machine is running, the loose or unlmit yarn which shall be taken out of thel needles by the said stripping-wheel may catch on or engage with and mcvethe said claw, comb, finger, or other device, and thc'rebycause the machine to stop. In carrying out this part cf my invention, I locate the stripping-wheel, and the comb or itssubstitute, on the hook-side of the needles, and so thatthe stripping-wheel lgears into the needles at any suitable place where the old loopso shall l be out from under the hooks, and where the stripping-wheel, and comb, or its substitute, shall not interfere with the ordinary knitting operations of the machine,

V. Another part of my invention, in knittingmachines which have a circular series of spring-barbed needles, consists in so combining, with the series of needles, a cam, Q, or its equivalent, for'pressing or holding the-knit fabric or old loops'back on the needles, and a strippingwheel, M,'that the said cam or its equivalent will press or hold the old loops or knit fabric back on the needles, below or beyond the points of their barbs, at the place wherevthe stripping-wheel is arranged to take loose yarn out of the needles, substantially as shown by figs. l, 2, and 3 of the aforesaid drawings. i

VI. Another part of my invention, in knitting-machines which have a circular series ot'spring-barbcd needles, consists in so combining, with the series of needles, a stripping-wheel, M, a cam, Q, or its equivalent, for pressing or holding the old loops or knit fabric back on the needles, afcomb, A, or its equivalent, for engaging with yarn taken out of the needles by the stripping-wheel, and a mechanism for stopping the machine, that, while the said cam or its equivalent pressesv or holds the old loops or knit fabric back on the needles at the point where the stripping-wheel takes loose yarn out of the needles, the'yarn taken out of the needles by the stripping-wheel shall engage with the said comb'or`.its equivalent, and therebyput the stopping-mechanism in action, so as to stop the machine, substantially as shown by the aforesaid drawings, and herein specified.

In carrying the aforesaid parts of my invention into practical operation, I' drive and stop the knittingmachine either by having a rotary sliding clutch, engaged'with and disengaged from another clutch geared with or upon the machine, o'r by having a belt or band run on and off from a drivingpnlley of the machine, or by any other well-known or suitable mechanism; and I combine any such driving or stopping-mechanism with the comb or other device which catches into or engages with and is moved ,by loose or unknit yarn hanging out of or projecting from the needles, below or not opposite to their hooks or barbs, by means of any suitable mechanical devices whatever, the devices hereinafter specified for that purpose being givenas illustrations, to enable persons skilled in making and using knitting-machines to make and use my invention.

In gs. 1 and 2, the knitting-machine is driven from a rotary shaft, D, by a sliding-clutch, E, engaging, with a clutch on n. pinion, G, gearing into a wheel, II, on the needle-cylinder I; and the comb A is combined with the driving-clutch E by having that co'inb on an arm, a,lof a shaft, J, pivoted in a fixed frame, K, with the arm a held lightly, by a spring, I), against a stop, c, and with an arm, c, having a.' detent,f, iig. 2, which will hold and release a stud, g, on a lever, Il, which has a tension-spring, h, fig. 1, and is jointed to a lever, O, that operates the clutch E, so that, when the machine is running, with the arm a against the stop c,- and the detentf 'holding the stud g of lever L, (sce dotted lines in iig. 2,) if loose or unkn'it yarn C shall hang out of the needles, orV project therefrom below their barbs d, such yarn will then catch on the comb A, end move the comb, with thearm a, shaft J, arm e, and detentf, so as to release the stud g, and letthe spring 7L, by the levers L and 0,' disengage the clutch E from the clutch F, and thereby stop the machine.

In tig. 4, the comb-arm t releases a catch, t', which is to be in the place of the study on the lover L in iig. 1, by turning a cam, j, on and with the shaft J, so as to thereby raise a detent, P, and consequently disengage a lever, S, so as to set free a lever,A T, and thereby release the catch z'.

Fig. v5 is a section of a part of a knitting-machine that has a fixed needle-cylinder, I', with latch-needles,

B, which, in knitting, are moved endwise on the cylinder I' bya rotary surrounding cam-ring, U; and the cam j, on the comb-arm shaft J', which is carriedby the cam-ring U, raises n. catch-lever, I", so that the latter .engages with teeth c on and thereby moves an ordinarily stationary surrounding detent-riug, V, so`as to release any suitable stopping-device, in combination with the ring V,vand thereby stop the machine, whenever the comb A shall catch into and be moved by loose ormknit yarn C, g. 5, hanging out of or projecting from the needles below their hooks cl and latches l. l l

Fig. 6 shows a part of admitting-machine which has spring-barbed needles fixed in a rotary cylinder, I, and a xed arm, K', which holds a round disk, W, by its axis, with its edge, which may be elastic, against the needles or needle-cylinder, so as to make the disk turn as the needlecylinder revolves, and which also holds a roller, X, that bears on and is revolved by the disk W, and has its spindle m turn in a pivoted bearing, n, and supported by a detent-spring, p, so that, when, in knitting, loose or linknit yarn hangs out of or projects from the needles below their barbs, such yarn will engage with and go through between the disk W and roller Xso as to raise that roller, and depress the spring p, and release a'lever, s, and thereby set free o. stopping-lever, L.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A claw, comb, or equivalent device, arranged in respect to the needles of o. knitting-machine, and combined with mechanism for stopping the machine, substantially as described, so that yarn which has fallen or been taken out of the needles will catch on or engage with the claw, comb, or equivalent device, and cause the machine to stop.

I also claim, in a knitting-machine having spring-barbed needles, a stripping-wheel, M, arranged, as described, so as to take knots or loose yarn out of the needles, and thereby preventthe injurious retention or accumulation of such knots or yarn in the needles, substantially as herein set forth.

I also claim the arrangement, in a knitting-machine having spring-barbed needles, of a stripping-wheeljust forward of the einher-wheel, or device for feeding yarn'into the needles, substantially as herein set forth.

I also claim, in knitting-machines, a series of needles and a stopping-mechanism, combined with a comb, or its equivalent, and a stripping-wheel, substantially as described, so that yarn taken from the needles by the stripping-wheel will enga-gewith'thecomb or its equivalent, and stop the machine.

I also claim, in knitting-machines, a stripping-wheel and a cam or its equivalent, combined with a. circular series of spring-barbed needles, substantially as described, so that the cam or its equivalent will pressor hold the knit fabric 01' old loops backl on the needles at the place where the stripping-Wheel is arranged to take Waste or loose yarn out of the needles.v

I also claim, in combination with a series of needles in a knitting-maehine, a stripping-wheel, a cam, or its equivalent, for pressing or holding the knit fabric back on the needles at' the point where the stripping-wheel acts, a comb, or its equivalent, for engagingy with yarn taken from the needles by the stripping-wheel, and astopping-mechanism, substantially as herein set forth. l

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand, this twenty-first day of January, eighteenhundred and sixt -seven.

y j BENJAMIN WARD.

Witnesses:

AUsrIN F. PARK, JAMES W. Woon. 

